If Oleksandr Usyk decided not to fight this year, that he was simply not ready, either from a mental or physical standpoint, absolutely nobody could hold it against him. Having bravely volunteered to fight against the Russian invasion of his home country of Ukraine that began in February, Usyk has had nothing boxing related on his mind. Now, having been permitted to leave his war-torn country to fully prepare himself for his contracted return bout with Anthony Joshua, Usyk will quite literally be engaging in the most important fight of his ring career.
The rematch, which was initially (and unrealistically) spoken of taking place as soon as March, April or May of this year, is now reportedly headed to a July date. And there is no doubt about it, Usyk both needs and is full deserving of any additional time to get ready for the fight. Usyk’s wife, Yekaterina, has given an alarming interview, in which she revealed how her husband lost a great deal of weight during the February invasion.
Speaking with PravadaTUT Lviv, Usyk’s wife said the WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion was “in shock” due to the atrocities he witnessed up close.
“Oleksandr lost 10 kilograms (22 pounds) in a week of the war,” she said. “He was so horrified, in such shock, he was so torn apart…..He saw what I was doing. I said, ‘Sasha, please, people are asking, we must speak, somehow support.’ But it’s very difficult for him. But he still goes on the air, he says something. His position is clear. He has always been for Ukraine, he has always glorified it and will glorify it, as long as his health and strength last.”
Hearing what Yekaterina has had to say, one cannot help but wonder if Usyk will possibly be ready to engage in a high-intensity boxing match, against a dangerous puncher (albeit one he has already defeated quite handily; this seemingly an age ago now, if in fact just over six months ago), around three months from now. Usyk has said that, compared to what he has seen and has been fighting against in Ukraine, boxing is “child’s play.” This may be so, but Usyk faces a potentially tough fight in the Joshua return, and if he is compromised in any way he could get hurt.
What do YOU guys think: should this rematch happen as soon as this summer?
Usyk has said that he “cannot stop thinking about the war,” and this is a terrible mental state to be in when trying to focus, 100 percent on a big fight (and remember, boxing, so say the experts, is around 90 percent mental). Maybe it would be better if Usyk and Joshua each took a “keep busy” fight and then had their rematch at the end of the year, if not next year? Usyk would have no shortage of excuses at hand if he did take the Joshua rematch this summer and lost the fight. Not that this braver than brave fighting man (quite literally) is the type of person to ever look for an excuse.
22 pounds, most of it muscle, will likely be hard to replace.
To repeat: should Usyk fight Joshua again this summer or not?
